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05.28.25

Written by Chase Majerus

Fannie & Freddie Might Actually Make Things Public

Welcome back to This Week Today, your go-to for housing news, financial fitness tips, and the occasional celebrity mansion with a no-schmucks-allowed policy. This week’s newsletter is packed with spicy updates, Pulte’s pushing Powell, property tax bills might be sneakily high, and Fannie & Freddie are flirting with freedom.

Oh, and Gene Simmons is selling a house, but don’t even think about buying it if you party too hard.

Whether you’re house-hunting, refinancing, or just window-shopping like it’s Zillow o’clock, we’ve got something for you.

Let’s dive in.

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Congrats on the House! Now Double-Check They're Not Taxing You Like It's a Mansion

(from CNBC.com)

So, you just bought a house… yay! But before you get too cozy, make sure your property tax assessment isn’t sneakily overcharging you.

According to a recent CNBC article, real estate attorney Sal Cataldo from O’Doherty & Cataldo in Sayville, New York, advises new homeowners to scrutinize their assessments for accuracy. Why? Because if the tax assessor thinks your cozy cottage is a sprawling estate, you might be overpaying.

Cataldo points out that as a recent buyer, you likely have a treasure trove of documents, like the title report, home inspection, appraisal, and mortgage, that can help you challenge any discrepancies. These documents can reveal inaccuracies such as incorrect square footage or phantom bathrooms. As Cataldo puts it, “You’ve gotten a wealth of information about your house, whether you realize it or not.”

Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, echoes this sentiment, noting that 30% to 60% of taxable properties in the U.S. are over-assessed. He emphasizes, “It pays to check.” Correcting an over-assessment can lead to significant savings, Realtor.com estimates that over 40% of homeowners could save $100 or more annually, with median savings around $539.

Read more here

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Rocker Gene Simmons Is Selling His Ultramodern Mansion for $14 Million

(from Realtor.com)

Gene Simmons is ready to part ways with his Beverly Hills mansion—but don’t think you can just waltz in with a checkbook and a dream. Nope. The God of Thunder has rules, and if you’re a party animal, you can kiss this house goodbye. Let’s check it out!

  • Simmons is listing his ultra-modern, 7,740-square-foot Beverly Hills home for $13.99 million—he bought it for $10.5M back in 2021. Now that he and Shannon are living full-time in their Malibu beach house, this pad is up for grabs but only to the right person
  • In his words: “No drugs, no alcoholics. I don’t want some schmuck in the place I call home.”
  • The mansion includes: 12-foot ceilings, a home theater, 5 bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, solar-powered heated floors, and a 40-foot glass infinity pool that screams “rockstar cool-down.”
  • Swiss architect Roger P. Kurath designed the home using glass, steel, oak, and concrete. Basically, it’s as sturdy and stylish as Gene’s platform boots
  • Outside, there’s 1,800 square feet of patio with fire pits, gray couches, a grill, and bronze sculptures just chillin’ like outdoor art bouncers
  • Bonus: The home’s eco-friendly, fire-resistant, and apparently schmuck-resistant too

The listing agent says it’s a rare gem for luxury buyers looking for a solid long-term investment… or anyone escaping wildfire zones with taste and cash.

See more here

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Financial Fitness

Spring and Early Summer Homebuying… Let's Talk Strategy

It’s been a busy few months in the housing world—spring is traditionally the hottest homebuying season, and 2025 was no exception. But with June right around the corner, we’re sliding toward summer… and while the market isn’t cooling down just yet, there’s a shift coming.

Spring = more listings, more sunshine, more competition. From March to June, the housing market turns into a full-contact sport: more homes for sale, but also way more buyers. Prices often spike—especially in May, which still holds the title for most expensive month to buy, with sellers getting 13% above market value on average.

Summer’s still busy—but there’s opportunity if you’re ready. As we head into July and August, inventory stays solid, but the competition starts to chill (a little). That makes mid-to-late summer a sweet spot if you’re financially prepped and ready to make a move.

That’s where S1 FinFit comes in. Whether you’re just starting your home search or waiting for the perfect listing, the S1 FinFit app helps you get financially fit to buy. Think: credit insights, budgeting tools, and goal tracking, so when the right home pops up, you’re not scrambling—you’re striking.

Already own a home? It might be time for a HELOC. With home values holding strong in many markets and mortgage rates still floating above pre-pandemic levels, tapping into your home’s equity through a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) can give you access to cash—without refinancing that low-rate mortgage you locked in a few years ago.

Rates are still unpredictable, but inventory is rising. Realtor.com projects a nearly 12% bump in existing-home inventory this year, which is great news for buyers. That said, mortgage rates are still hovering above 6%, so it pays—literally—to be financially organized ahead of time.

Whether you’re shopping now, planning for later, or looking to make your equity work harder, staying financially ready is your real competitive edge. S1 FinFit helps you prep for whatever season your home journey takes place in—because in today’s market, timing is everything, but readiness is everything else.

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S1 FinFit is a FREE app that provides a roadmap to help you reach your financial and lifestyle goals, no matter how big or small! Free credit monitoring with alerts, set financial goals, create budgets, and keep track of your spending to see where your money is going.

Download the app on the appropriate app store with the links below!

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FHFA Director Pulte calls on Powell to lower interest rates

(from Housingwire.com)

On Monday, FHFA Director Bill Pulte tweeted at Fed Chair Jerome Powell, basically saying, “Cut the rates already—Trump beat inflation, and housing needs help.” This isn’t just a spicy tweet, it’s part of a growing push from folks close to the Trump White House to get mortgage rates down.

Why? First, high rates are blocking plans to take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of government control (aka conservatorship) (aka we’ll talk about this later in this newsletter).

Second, housing construction has slowed to levels we haven’t seen since COVID, which is a major red flag for the economy.

Third, with a trade war heating up again, Trump’s team believes fighting it will be way easier with lower rates, like they had during COVID when housing stayed strong despite crazy lumber prices. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent even hinted that if rates stay high, they’ll hold off on GSE reform altogether. Lower rates could be the unlock to fixing multiple economic headaches. But for now, it’s all talk, tweets, and theories.

Read more here

Fannie & Freddie Might Actually Make Things Public

(from CBSnews.com)

Hang on. Hold up. Wait a minute. So FHFA Director Bill Pulte was pushing for lower rates and there might be something brewing with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae?

Yeah… well, now the administration says there’s serious consideration in taking them public. Like, removing them from federal control after 17 years in government hands.

If you’re wondering why that matters, here’s the deal: these two companies back a huge chunk of the U.S. mortgage market, and letting them loose could shake up how home loans work (and how much they cost). Wall Street investor and Trump bro Bill Ackman is all-in, calling it the “biggest deal in history” and saying it could net the government $300 billion, cue dramatic movie trailer voice.

Critics, like Senator Elizabeth Warren, think this move could reward hedge funds and raise mortgage rates for everyday buyers already struggling to afford homes. Pulte himself has said that any move like this needs to be “extremely thoughtful” to avoid screwing up the entire housing market. Basically, it’s a high-stakes poker game: Trump wants the deal, Ackman wants the payday, and homeowners just want to not pay more.

Stay tuned, this could be one of the biggest housing stories of 2025.

Read more here

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